This paper is a descriptive analysis focusing on the artwork DANCE FORM IV crafted by Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (also known as Ben Cab) in 2010 Displayed within the “Chances of Contact: Contemporary Prints from the Philippines and Singapore” exhibit curated by Patrick Flores and held in the North Gallery on the 3rd Floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila
(otherwise known as “The M”) as part of the “Between Generations” section (one out of three) in the exhibit.
Upon one’s entry into the exhibit, one is first greeted by the yellow dividing walls of the "Between Generations" section that partition the exhibition space into three; with the “Towards Future Forms” section in red to the left, and the “Across Mediums” section in blue As the first section to greet a guest, the yellow section comprises selected artworks that correspond with one another in recontextualizing print works and its production in the more “post-war modernist” time period leading up to the development of the more contemporary and abstract landscape As the first section in the exhibit, the “Between Generations” section establishes a solid foundation of the entire exhibit’s premise of presenting the juxtaposition of Philippine and Singaporean print & mixed media art’s development over the years The yellow section becomes an effective jumping point in how one can begin to understand the concept of the exhibit before exploring the rest
Situated by the outer layers of the yellow section leading to the blue “Across “Mediums” section of the exhibit, DANCE FORMS IV is a relief print and collage on misu paper work Like most of the works in the exhibit, it was produced through “a combination of techniques and/or utilize non-print and paper mediums” as described in the exhibit Its main features consist of three humanlike figures twisting their bodies in a certain way that is reminiscent of a dance captured in photos while set against a gradient background of a skin-tone color palette. While DANCE FORMS IV is made in the stylized and somewhat abstracted style, characteristic of a Ben Cab work, it holds a unique quality for the depiction of the humanlike figures having been given sharper and bolder edges, not just to the silhouette of the figures as a whole, but also to how the figures are given texture and detail through the arrangement of the print-relief materials involved to create the impression of cross-hatching when making the finer details. The composition is structured, yet flowing, with two out of the three human figures sharing a shade of red, while the center figure is colored in a skin-tone color gradient that is reversed in order to contrast the two red figures and the background.
When juxtaposed with the likes of the LOVERS work, which is also by created by Ben Cab in 2010, there’s a clear contrast between the two, not just in subject but also in terms of artistic process and the approach towards print-making made for each respective work LOVERS, on the other hand, is made with pigmented paper pulp on STPI handmade paper. Throughout his catalog, particularly his painted works. Ben Cab can be more easily recognized by the stylized forms of his subjects with soft edges, flowing fabrics, and their earthy colors and muted tones.
Overall, BenCab’s style is popularly regarded as “figurative art” While his painted works are more abstracted with an emphasis on the flow of the depicted clothing and the soft touches to the texture of the works, his collage works have a tendency to put more emphasis on the human subject Then, when one evaluates his catalog to find his mixed media works, it almost seems as if he strikes a balance between the emphasizing the flowing clothes as well as the figure of the subject itself by maximizing the solid construction of the medium in order to give a real weight to the form, all while remaining intricate with his details.
BenCab as an artist is incredibly versatile, proficient in painting and applying the appropriate amount of care to properly show the flow of cloth. Delicate in his detailing of his mixed media works, with a sense of real visual balance where one can clearly determine the emphasis being placed on whatever element of the work was given focus. BenCab is still regardless of the medium, al Artist and cultural leader nd his craft, having been according to the National ultural, environmental, and giuo City, which he built to ollection
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